The first time we saw Pankaj Tripathi on-screen was when he made an appearance in a Tata Tea advertisement and asked Indians to 'Jaago Re'. From that very moment, Tripathi has undoubtedly come a long way. 

For someone who used to be an underdog, his story is quite inspiring. 

After being a part of Bollywood for a while, his stint in Mirzapur, Sacred Games and movies like Gangs of Wasseypur, Gunjan Saxena and Ludo earned him recognition. 

No matter what role or character he has essayed, he leaves no stone unturned with his excellent acting skills.

© Instagram/Pankaj Tripathi

© Instagram/Pankaj Tripathi

For the unversed, Pankaj comes from an ordinary middle-class family in Bihar. Recently, he opened up about his days of struggle and mentioned how he used to wander in Andheri, looking for work. 

However, it took him six years to start with something. He also revealed that he didn't earn enough money, and it was his wife who took care of the expenditure.

© Instagram/Pankaj Tripathi

Speaking to a Hindi Daily about his journey, Tripathi said, "To be honest, I did not earn anything between 2004 and 2010. She bore the burden of all expenses involved in the upkeep of our household. I used to roam around in Andheri and urge people 'koi acting karwa lo, koi acting karwa lo'.

He further added, "But no one listened to me at the time. Now, when I go home, I find movies being offered in my parking lot."

© Instagram/Pankaj Tripathi

The directors used to ask him in the parking lot where he was as they wanted to do movies with him. They would ask him to sit down for a narration. He said, "Earlier, I struggled but found no jobs even when I searched for them in Andheri, but now there are queues of movies being offered." He also praised his wife, Mridula and said she took care of everything, from house rent to other basic needs.

© Instagram/Pankaj Tripathi

Pankaj was recently seen in Mimi, starring Kriti Sanon. The movie is a Hindi remake of the Marathi movie Mala Aai Vhhaychy. It was released on Netflix recently and has received rave reviews for its storyline.

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